Fluidic circuit package



I Unlted States Patent [111 3,543, 4

Ed "d 3,135,290 6/1964 Carls 137/608 [72] Inventors ,,,,,,,,,,f,3,158,164 11/1964 Barton 137/608 Lance A. Jahnke, Rolling Meadows, Ill.3,217,727 1 1 /1965 Spylopoulos l37/8l.5 {21] Appl No. 601,919 3,220,42811/1965 W1lkerson 137/81. 5 15 9 3,226,530 12/1965 Greenblott et a1.137/81,5 [22] Flled Dec.

22 1970 3,259,145 7/1966 Engle 137/608 [45] Patented Dec. [73] AssignImperial Corporation 3,323,545 6/ 1967 Carls 137/608 Philadelphia p3,384,115 5/1968 Drazan et a1 a corporation of Delawm by meme 3,407,84610/1968 Brandenberg 137/81.5X

assignments OTHER REFERENCES Langley, R. F. and Schulz, P.B. ModularPneumatic Logic Package IBM. Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 6 No.5, [541 CIRCUIT PACKAGE October 1963, pp- 3,4. (Copy in Group 360,l37/81.5).

19 Claims, 11 Drawing Figs. P E M C N l rzmary xammerary e son137/8l.5F, l1 531C758: Assistant Examiner wmiam Cline 50 Field ofSearch137/81.5, wegne" Allen and Cm ABSTRACT: A fluidic circuit package inwhich planar fluidic [56] References c'ted elements are stacked, oneupon the other, with aligned ports UNITED STATES PATENTS and passages inthe fluidic components and manifolds, respec- 3,022,743 2/1962 Engholdt137/81.5X tively, interconnected by sealing washers that selectively3,092,141 6/ 1963 Stark 137/608 block communication between the portsand the passages to 3,122,165 2/1964 Horton 137/81 .5X achieye thedesired circuit configuration.

PMENTEBuEmmc 3Q 548L849 SHEET 1 OF 3 v Ill-12mm PATENT ED DEEZZIBYG3548;849

SHEET 2 OF 3 PATENTED 05022 I970 SHEET 3 OF 3 SUP/ 1. Y

Ex nee/ma Fave/(4 65 FLUIDIC CIRCUIT PACKAGE This invention relatesgenerally to the art of pure fluid devices and more particularly to thepackaging of fluidic devices in Circuits.

The development ofpure fluid amplifiers has stimulated the design ofcomponents operating under fluid flow principles that perform functionsheretofore only effectively satisfied by electrical components. As aresult of this technology, it is now possible to arrange fluidicelements, such as flow, pressure, and power amplifiers, bistableelements, logical gates, capacitors, resistors, etc. into circuitsverysimilar to electronic circuits. Many of the fluidic devices nowmanufactured are of generally planar configuration. When these devicesor components are arranged side by side into a circuit they require aconsiderable space envelope. This is especially true when fluid fittingsand fluid conveying tubing are necessary between the fluidic elements.Furthermore, such an arrangement results in a great confused maze offluid tubing and fittings.

Another significant problem in the development of circuit packaging offluidic devices results from the widespread use of materials (in themanufacture of these fluidic devices) that have a high modulus ofelasticity and/or other unique properties. Material such as ceramics,glass and certain plastics have been widely accepted as materials forfluidic components because of known techniques for accurately formingfluid passages in these materials. There have been difficulties indesigning adequate fittings connectable with these devices for conveyingfluid to and from them. That is, the fittings required have beenexcessively large and it has been found difficult to provide a longlasting seal between the fittings and the fluidic devices themselves.Still another problem exists with respect to these fluidic componentswhich have a high modulus of elasticity. While some of these materialspermit high accuracies in the shape of the fluid flow passages therein,it has been found impractical to remove surface nonuniformities bymachining. Because of these surface nonuniformities any attempt tofasten these devices together in circuit fashion produces undesirablehigh stress concentrations in the components.

In accordance with the present invention a fluidic circuit package isprovided in which planar fluidic components are stacked, one upon theother, to conserve space and reduce the tubing required forinterconnecting one fluidic element to another. Between each of thefluidic elements a generally planar manifold is provided having passagestherein which connect the desired ports of the adjacent fluidicelements, each of the manifolds having provision forreceiving externalfittings which may be used to jump a fluid signal from one manifold to aremote manifold in the stack or provide a fluid connection with a signalor source external from the stack.

If desired, these manifold members may be standardized to some extent byproviding each with the same number of vertical passages therethroughe.g. six when there are six or less ports in the fluidic elements, oreight if there are eight or less ports in the fluidic elements.Removable washers are provided, some with and some without passagestherethrough for selectively blocking or providing communication betweenthe ports in the adjacent fluidic elements. Thus, when a circuit isassembled either a solid or an open washer is placed adjacent each portor passage depending upon the desired circuit connections. Thearrangement, together with the capability of jumping signals from onecomponent to another pennits almost an unlimited flexibility of circuitdesign with the present packaging arrangement.

Furthermore, the manifolds may, if desired, be provided withcross-passages interconnecting the vertical passages so that a signalfrom one stage (such as an output signal from the output leg port of onefluidic element) may be delivered to a nonaligned port in the adjacentfluidic element (such as one of the control ports) without the necessityof any external connections or tubing.

The washers, described above, in addition to providing the function ofselectively blocking ports and passages, are resilient and serve tospace the fluidic elements from their adjacent manifolds. The resiliencyin the washers prevents undesired stress concentrations in nonuniformfluidic devices. The manifolding arrangement, moreover, eliminates thenecessity for any external fittings on the fluidic devices themselves,thus eliminating a prior art problem described above.

It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide anew and improved circuit arrangement for fluidic components.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improvedcircuit arrangement for fluidic elements in which they are stacked oneupon the other with planar manifolds between them for reducing thenumber of required external connections between the fluidic elements.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved circuit package for fluidic elements of the type describedgenerally above in which resilient means are provided between themanifolds and the fluidic elements for reducing stress concenu'ations inthe elements.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved circuit packaging arrangement for fluidic elements of the typedescribed generally above in which the manifold members are standardizedwith a plurality of vertical passages therethrough corresponding andaligned with ports in the fluidic elements, there being provided meansfor selectively blocking certain passages and ports in the manifoldmembers during assembly of the circuit so that circuit connections maybe made as desired and the manifolds are to some extent interchangeable.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new andimproved fluidic package of the type described above in which themanifold members have cross-passages as desired, interconnecting thethrough passages (the ones aligned with the fluidic element ports) sothat a fluid signal may be jogged from one port on one fluidic elementto a port at a different location on the adjacent fluidic elementwithout the need for any external connections.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improvedfluidic package of the type described above having alternate fluidicelements and manifold members which permit easy assembly and disassemblyin building block fashion through the provision of threaded fastenerswhich extend freely through one manifold, freely through the adjacentfluidic element, and thread into the opposite manifold, therebypermitting removal of a single fluidic element at a time withoutrequiring the disassembly of the entire stack. Each manifold has atleast two threaded bores and at least two larger unthreaded bores withthe threaded bores in one manifold being aligned with the unthreadedbores in the adjacent manifold to permit the threading of each fastenerin only one manifold.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdetailed description taken in connection with the ac companying drawingsin which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a fluidic circuit according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of one form of a fluidiccomponent;

FIG. 3 is a subassembly perspective view showing one of the manifoldmembers;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged elevation view of one of the resilient washers;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken generally along line 5-5of FIG. 1 showing the passage location in the respective members;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section taken generally along line 6-6 of FIG. 5illustrating the fastening arrangement for the components; v

FIG. 7 is a circuit diagram of an exemplary fluidic control circuit;

FIG. 8 is an elevation view of a fluidic element of the OR- NOR gatetype;

FIG. 9 is an exploded diagrammatic view of the components shown in FIG.1 illustrating the passage interconnection between components;

FIG. is an exploded perspective view of a somewhat modified form of thepresent invention; and

FIG. 11 is a plan view of a bistable fluidic amplifier.

The present invention concerns itself with the circuit integration offluidic elements generally known in the prior art. As shown in FIG. 2,these fluidic elements oftentimes include three laminated layers 10, 11and 12 joined together forming a single fluidic element 14. The centralplate 11 has the shaped fluid passages therein and the cover plates 10and 11 have ports 15 providing the necessary manifolding with the shapedpassages in plate 11. The fluidic component 14, shown also in FIG. 8, isan OR-NOR gate. The port 17 is a supply port and is defined by a passageextending completely through the component 14 as do the other ports.Further, control ports 18, 19 and 20 are provided along with outletports 22 and 23. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, thepassages in the fluidic component 14 are shaped such that with supplyfluid being delivered to port 17, the fluid stream issuing from nozzlewill exit from the outlet port 23 due to a well known wall attachmenteffect on wall'27. Thus, withno fluid input signal at either port 18 or19 fluid flow will issue from outlet 23, which thus provides the NORlogic. Now, if a signal is applied toeither port 18 or port 19, thestream issuing from nozzle 25 will be deflected from wall 27 and willissue through outlet port 22, thus providing the OR gate logic. Whilethe specific shape and function of the passages of the component 14 formno part of .the present invention, the location of the ports 17, 18, 19,20, 22, and 23 are of importance. That is, the ports in the fluidicelements according to the present invention are uniformly disposed sothat they may be aligned when the fluidic elements are stacked one uponanother. While the control ports 19 and 20 as shown in FIG. 8 aresomewhat asymmetrical with respect to the periphery of the fluidicdevice, it is possible to arrange the porting as shown in the embodimentin FIG. 10 so that the ports are symmetrical permitting a reversal ofthe elements if desired. In any event, the uniform location of theports, whether symmetrical or not, provides alinto a stack. The locationof the ports inthe fluidic elements according to the present inventionis, of course, not limited to OR-NORv gate shown in FIGS. 2 and8, butextends to any other type of fluidic component, such as that shown inFIG.

.11. The ports 30 are arranged in the same location with respect to theperiphery of the amplifier. as are the ports 15 in the OR NOR. gate 14.The ports 30, however, are defined in a bistable fluidic component 31,generally of well known configuration, except for the port location and.the location of the fastening holes 33 which are the same size and inthe same location as holes 28 in the fluidic gate 14.

Having described generally the fluidic elements themselves, referencewill now be made to FIGS. 1 and 3 to 6 for a description of the presentarrangement for stacking these fluidic elements into a unitary circuitpackage.

As shown in FIG. 1, a circuit package 35 according to the presentinvention is seen to includea generally U-shaped plate 37 defining abase member with a capacitor 39, a manifold 40, a fluidic element 42,another manifold 44, another fluidic element 45, and a manifold-cover47, all in a single generally rectangular stack.

' The manifold members 40, 44 and 47 serve to convey fluid from onefluidic element port to the appropriate port in another fluidic elementand also permit external fluid connections (through suitable fittings)to fluid control signals, a fluid pressure supply, a fluid load and.even to other fluidic elements being rectangularand have been found toperform acceptably when constructed of aluminum, although othermaterials may be used. These internal members preferably have verticalpassages 50 extending completely therethrough, equal in number andlocation with the ports 15 (or 30) in the fluidic elements. If it isdesired that fluidic elements having more ports be used, such as thefluidic elements shown in FIG. 10, the manifold members may be providedwith additional vertical passages corresponding with these ports. Insome instances, it may be desirable not to provide one or more of thepassages 50, or to simply dead end one or more of the passages 50 in themanifold member. This will, of course, depend upon the desired degree ofstandardization of the manifolds compared with the advantages ofspecializing" them.

If no passage 50 is provided at a specific location, then the portsinthe adjacent fluidic elements aligned therewith will be vented toatmosphere due to the spacing between the fluidic elements and themanifold. As will appear hereinbelow all of the passages 50 in manifoldmember 40 do not extend completely therethrough, although this is afunction of the specific circuit (described below) which is employedherein to illustrate the present invention. However, it is desirable tostandardize the manifold members as much as possible so that they areinterchangeable.

The cover manifold 47 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 has vertical passages 52which are aligned with the ports 15' as well as the corresponding portsin theother fluidic elements and manifold. The passages 52, however, donot extend completely through the manifold member 47 and fluid isconducted to and from the passages 52 through cross-passages such asshown at 54 in FIG. 5. The end of passage 54 is threaded as at 56 forreceiving a suitable fitting. All of the external connections relativeto the circuit 35 are made at locations such as 56 on the sides of themanifold members rather than directly in any of the fluidic elements 40,45. Furthermore, the'transverse or cross-passages, such as at 54-, andthe threaded fitting receiver in the sides of-the manifold such as at56, permit not only external connections but through the use of externaltubing permit one manifold to be connected to any desired verticalpassage in another manifold remote therefrom.

Open sealing washers 60 andclosed sealing washers 61 are provided,respectively, for either connecting a vertical passage 50, 52 in amanifold with the aligned port 15, 30 in the adjacent fluidic element,or blocking communication between a passage 50, 52 and the adjacentaligned fluidic element port. Both washers 60 and 61 have a reducedconical portion 63 flared outwardly from an enlarged flange portion 65.The sealing washers 60, 61 are constructed of an elastomeric or otherreadily deflectable material. The largest diameter of the conicalportion 63 is larger than the aligned vertical passages 50, 52 in themanifold members so that when pressed in these passages provides a tightsealing engagement therewith. The upper surface 67 of the flange 65provides a sealing engagement with the planar side surfaces of thefluidic elements. Sealing washers 60 and 61 are identical except thatwashers 60 have a passage 68 therethrough. The internal manifoldmembers, such as 40 and 44 have sealing washers inserted in both the topand bottom surfaces thereof to control communication with both of theadjacent fluidic elements.

Thus, as shown in FIG. 5, the open washer 60 providescommunicationbetween passage 52 in manifold 47 and port 15' in element 45, and closedwasher 61 in manifold 44 prevents communication between port 15 inelement 45 and passage 50a in manifold 44. During assembly of thefluidic circuit, the washers 60 and 61 are inserted into the alignedpassages in the manifold members, as desired, to provide the properfluid circuit connections.

Moreover, sealing washers 60, 61 provide a somewhat resilient spacingfor the manifold members and the fluidic elements. As described above,when the fluidic elements are constructed of a material havinga highmodulus of elasticity, such as ceramics, it is highly desirable toreduce the deflection of the element to avoid unduly high unit stress.The resilient washers reduce the bending of the fluidic elements whenjoined together into a stack and thus minimize the stresses that wouldbe otherwise present. Moreover, the resilient mounting of each of thecomponents provides a more durable unit. The

, sealing members 60, 61 may be visualized as low spring-rate devicesinstalled in opposing pairs around the fluidic elements. Any out of flatmismatch between manifold member and fluidic element will thus impose adesirably low force at chosen points, and there will be acceptablecompressive loading across the element.

An additional advantage in the function of the flange 65 of the washersis that they space the fluidic elements from the associated manifoldsmaking venting of the fluidic device to atmosphere much simpler in thatno additional passages are required. However, as noted below withrespect to FIG. 10, it is possible to provide a closed venting circuitwhen the unit is operated in a noncompatible ambient environment.

The fluidic elements and manifolds according to the present inventionare fastened together in a stack as a unit in a manner which permits thestack to be assembled and disassembled in building block fashion. Thefastening means provided also effect a relatively equal loaddistribution on the fluidic elements with bending minimization. Towardthis end and as described above with reference to FIG. 3, each of themanifold members, including the cover manifold 47, has four uniformlyspaced vertical passages 70 therethrough. These passages are alignedwith the larger passages 28 in the fluidic elements. Diagonally opposedpassages 70a and 70b are tapped while the other two diagonally opposedpassages 70c and 70d are unthreaded and slightly larger than passages70a and 70b.

As shown more clearly in FIG. 6, the manifold members 40, 44 and 47 arearranged so that the unthreaded passages 70c and 70d in each are alignedwith the threaded passages 70a and 70b in the adjacent manifold, and thethreaded passages 70a and 70b in each are aligned with the unthreadedpassages 70c and 70d in the adjacent manifold. Note that while only twoof the passages 70 are shown in each manifold in the section of FIG. 6,it should be understood that each manifold has four passages 70 as shownin FIG. 3. This alternate relationship of threaded and unthreadedfastening passages through the stack may be obtained by (1) specialmachining, (2) flipping alternate manifolds 180 about a horizontal axisif all or some of the manifolds are identical, (3) providing two sets ofmanifolds, one set similar to the FIG. 3 passage arrangement and anotherset with the passages 70a, 70b and 70c, 70d reversed, or (4) rotatingalternate manifolds 180 about a vertical axis, the latter being possiblewhen the vertical passages 50 are uniformly and symmetrically spaced inthe manifold as shown in the FIG. embodiment.

During assembly, and as shown in FIG. 6, the sealing washers 60, 61 areplaced as desired in the vertical passages 50 in the manifold 40. Thefluidic element 42 is then placed on the washers 60, 61. The frictionbetween the washers and the fluidic elements assist in maintainingalignment of the elements during assembly. Washers 60, 61 are theninserted into the lower surface of manifold member 44 (then unassembled)and it is placed on the upper surface of the fluidic element 42. Theunthreaded, larger passages 70c and 70d in manifold 44 are then alignedwith the threaded passages 70a and 70b in the manifold member 40. Twothreaded fasteners 75 are inserted into passages 70c and 70d, passingfreely through the larger holes 28 in the fluidic element 42 and arethreaded into the threaded passages 70a and 70b in the manifold member40. After the sealing washers are inserted into the vertical passages inthe upper surface of the manifold 44, the fluidic element 45 is placedand aligned thereon. After the sealing washers are inserted in manifold47, fasteners 75 are inserted into the passages 70c and 70d therein,extended through the holes 28 in element 45 and are threaded into thebores 70a and 70b in fluidic element 44.

With the above described fastening arrangement, the fluidic elements maybe added one at a time to the unit in building block fashion and may bedisassembled in a similar manner. An additional advantage in thespecific fastening arrangement is that it permits a uniform compressiveloading over each fluidic element. When larger fluidic elements areemployed, as in the eight port type shown in FIG. 10, it may bedesirable to provide eight passages 70 in each manifold, four beingthreaded and four beingunthreaded. Other fastening means may be employedin place of the threaded type of fastener shown as will be apparent tothose skilled in the art.

While the construction and mode of assembly and disassembly of thepresent fluidic circuit package is believed apparent from the abovedescription, it will be helpful to illustrate the operation of thepresent circuit package with reference to a specific control circuitshown in FIG. 7. However, it is to be understood that the presentinvention is not limited to the specific circuit shown, and in fact thespecific circuit shown in FIG. 7 forms no part of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7, a control circuit is shown for initiating theoperation of a machine only when the operator closes two switches withina predetermined time period, so that the operator's hands are out of theway of moving machinery. The circuit forms no part of the presentinvention and reference should be made to the copending application ofEdward J. Purcell, Ser. No. 655,429 filed Jul. 24, 1967 entitled SafetyControl" for a more detailed description of the details and operation ofthe circuit. It will be described herein only briefly for purposes ofillustrating the manner of incorporation into the present circuitstacking arrangement.

As shown in FIG. 7, an exemplary control circuit consists generally of asensor 45 for sensing the closure by the operator of switches S, and Swithin a predetermined time period, and a driver 42 which in response tothe sensor 45 initiates the driving of the load shown (which may be forexample a press platen). Both the sensor 45 and the driver 42 may beNOR-OR gates similar to gate 14 shown in FIG. 8. Supply flow isdelivered to the supply port 81 of the sensor 45 through resistor R andcapacitor C, which serve to assure the initial OR output from the sensor45 and thereby guarantee that the machine will not initially stroke whenthe system is turned on. Control or input ports 82 and 83 receivecontrol fluid through resistors R, and R, when switches S, and 8 areopen as shown. In this condition flow in the control ports 82 and 83causes supply flow to be diverted to OR output port 85 (NOR output port86 being the preferred outlet.)

Since the anticontrol port 84 in gate 45 may be vacuumswitched to acontinuous off (fail-safe) state, no washer 60 or 61 is provided aboveor below this port allowing it to breathe.

If either switch S, and S is closed, there will be an associatedpressure drop at the associated control port 82, 83 until the pressurein capacitor C, builds up at which time the pressure again increases atthe control port even though the associated switch remains closed. Ifduring this'period of pressure decay with one switch closed the otherswitch is also closed, the pressure drop at control nozzle 84 will dropsufficiently so that the supply flow switches to NOR output leg 86.

A signal from NOR leg port 86 to driver control port 88 causes driver 42to be switched from flow through NOR output 90 to OR output 91' therebyinitiating operation of the machine. A feedback loop through R, tocontrol port 91 holds the driver 42 in the OR state even though thesignal from the sensor 45 is discrete rather than continuous. Further, areset circuit through resistor R and capacitor C to control port 93provides a signal at that port a predetermined time after switching toOR output 91' for resetting the driver .42 to the NOR output 90. Thislatter features is described desirable when the machine requires amechanical control to be reset prior to the completion of a singlecycle.

Incorporating the circuit of FIG. 7 into a circuit package arrangementas shown in FIGS..1 to 6 and 9 all of the circuit elements and passagesto the right of the vertical dashed line in FIG. 8 are incorporated intothe circuit package, while those to the left of the line, including theswitches S, and S are external to the circuit package and therefore donot appear in the other FIGS.

It should be understood that the circuit package shown in FIGS. 1 to 6and 9 incorporates the circuit shown in FIG. 7.

Referring to FIGS. 1,5 and 9 supply fitting 100 is threaded into asupply bore 101 in cover manifold member 47 and connected to a source offluid under pressure (not shown). A vertically disposed restrictedpassage communicating with passage 101 defines the resistor R Supplyflow through resistor R passes through an open seal 60a seated in theassociated vertical passage in member 47, through supply port 81,through open seal 60b seated in manifold member 44 and into across-passage in manifold 44 defining the capacitor C Closed seals 61aand 61b seated in the lower surface of manifold member 44 prevent theegress of fluid from capacitor C except via the supply port 81. Thus,the supply line to port 81 contains a fluid resistor R and a fluidcapacitor C, for the purpose of delaying the supply flow to fluidicelement 45.

Supply flow is also delivered from supply passage 101 to the controlport 82 through a restricted passage intersecting passage 101 definingresistor R through port 52 and open seal member 60 which is adjacentport 82. Seal 61d in the upper surface of manifoldmember 44 closes thelower end of port82.

Supply flow also communicates with control port 83 in NOR-OR gate 45through another restricted passage intersecting bore 101 and definingthe resistor R, parallel to resistor R Supply flow to this resitorpasses through port 500, open w'asher 60c which communicates directlywith the upper surface of fluidic element 45, and control port 83. Thelower end of control port 83 is closed by closed washer 61e seated inthe upper surface of manifold member 44.

Ports 104 and 105 (FIG. 9) in the cover manifold member 47 provide theproper connections between switches S, and S (not in the circuitpackage) and the resistors R, and R,'. The cross-passages in the variousmanifolds may be formed by drilling, and where desired, the ends ofthese passages may be blocked with suitable plugs such as plugs 106 and107 closing the ends of resistors R, and R respectively.

Flow from the OR outlet port 85 is not utilized as a control signal sothat both ends of this port are closed by closed washers 61f and 61gseated respectively in the lower surface of manifold member 47 and theupper surface of manifold member 44. Of course, provision may be madefor venting the flow under these conditions.

The flow or signal from NOR outlet port 86 is delivered to control port88 in the driver 42 through open washer 60d, vertical passage 502 inmanifold 44, cross-passages 110 and 111 in manifold 44, passage 50f, andopen washer 60f which is directly adjacent port 88. The lower end ofport 88 is closed by closed washer 61g and egress from the passages 110and 111 through the lower ends of ports 50c and 50h is prevented 7 theadjacent lower end of supply port 89. The upper end of the supply port89 is closed by closed seal 6112 thereby isolating the supply flow tothe driver 42 from the capacitor resistor coupled supply flow to thesensor 45.

Flow from the NOR outlet 90 of driver 42 is blocked by washer 61h and61] as this flow is not utilized as an output signal.

The utilized machine start signal from the OR gate port 91' flowsupwardly through open washer 60j, through port 50j in manifold 44 andout cross-passage 95 which is adapted to be connected to the load ormachine actuating mechanism. The feedback hold circuit from the outletof driver 42 to control port 91 is defined by the open seal 60k,vertical passage 50k in manifold 40, a restricted passage 117 incapacitor 39, vertical bore 118, passage SW and open seal 60m which isadjacent trol port 93 through resistor R and capacitor C is defined bythe passage 118, capacitor 39, a restricted cross-passage 120 ,in thecapacitor which opens into a capacitive chamber 121,

upwardly through hole 123 which communicates with chamber 121, throughpassage 50n in manifold 40, and through open washer 60p which isadjacent the lower end of port 93. The upper end of port 93 is closed bywasher 610.

Thus, it is apparent from the above description that the entire circuitshown to the right of the dotted line in FIG. 7 is contained within thefluidic package without the necessity of any external connections exceptfor supply, control and output signals. In some instances, however, itmay be desirable to provide external connections. Such a connection isshown in dotted lines at the top of FIG. 9, having a resistor 131therein. This would connect passage 101 and vertical passage 52 inmanifold 47 without the necessity of the restricted passage definingresistor R A somewhat modified form of the present invention is shown inFIG. 10, with the basic difference that the manifold members 201 and 202are provided with eight vertical passages, rather than six, for matchingthe eight ports in the fluidic elements 207 and 208. Again, however, theports in the fluidic elements 207 and 208 are located and aligned withrespect to the manifold ports. Furthermore, the passages 210 in themanifold members are symmetrical with respect to its center lines sothat the manifolds can be, if desired, made identical and rotated abouteither a horizontal or vertical axis to achieve the correct relationshipbetween threaded and unthreaded fastener holes described above. In thisregard while only two holes 213 are shown in each member, in actualpractice it is preferable to use the four hole arrangement (or eveneight) described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7.

The FIG. 10 embodiment does illustrate the further capability of thepresent fluidic package of providing fluid connections, external to thedevice itself for connecting one fluidic element to a remote fluidicelement without passing directly through any intermediate element.Output port 212 in fluidic element 207 is connected to control port 215of fluidic element 208 through open seal 260a, passage 210, externalconduit 215, (which communicates with passage 210 through across-passage in manifold 201) passage 2100 in manifold 202, and throughan open washer (not shown) in the lower end of passage 210a which isadjacent and communicates with port 215.

Note that all of the connections in the embodiments shown might havebeen made by external connections (although less desirably) from onemanifold to another with the use of threaded transverse passages forreceiving fittings and tubing. In the case of a very simple circuit suchan arrangement may be desired.

It is apparent from the above that the present elemental packagingconcept permits simple, reliable mounting and connection of fluidicelements through the use of standarized components readily manufacturedby accepted forming techniques. Furthermore, protection of the elementsand components is provided, and increased package density is obtained.

While the discrete sealing washer 60, 61 have been found to have manydesirable advantages, they may be replaced by a continuous gasket washerextending completely across each manifold. Another alternative is astrip gasket with raised sealing bosses adjacent the ports and passages.This latter modification presents some handling ease. However, greaterinstallation flexibility is achieved with the separate washers describedabove, because of the infinite variations in porting patterns foroptimum system assembly. A further modification would be in the use ofstrip gaskets (in place of the washers) with semipunched holes to beremoved as desired at the time of assembly.

The invention present invention also provides the capability ofincorporating resistances and capacitors in the fluidic element stack asrequired. Since a resistance in a fluid circuit may be obtained throughan orifice in a flow stream, the present device takes advantage of thisby providing restricted passages in the manifold members themselves. Insituations that require variable resistance, cross-drilling andthreading of .the. manifoldmembers at desired locations allows theinsertion of a basic needle-throttling valve without requiring anyexternal circuitry.

I claim:

1. A fluidic circuit package, comprising: a plurality of generallyplanar fluidic elements, each of said fluidic elements having opposedgenerally planar surfaces and at least one inlet and one outlet port andat least one control port opening to said surfaces, a plurality ofgenerally planar manifold members between said fluidic elements, saidmanifold members each having a plurality of passages therethroughaligned with said inlet, outlet and control ports, and passage means inat least one of saidmanifold member extending generally transverse tosaid aligned passages and communicating with at least one of saidpassages, said passage means interconnecting two of said alignedpassages to define a functional circuit between the adjacent fluidicelements.

2. A fluidic circuit package as defined in claim 1, including a port inthe side of .atleast one of said manifold member,

means connecting said one aligned passage with said manifold port.

3. A fluidic circuit package comprising: a plurality of generally planarfluidic elements, each of said fluidic elements having opposed generallyplanar surfaces and at least one inlet and oneoutlet port opening to atleast one of said surfaces,

and at least one generally planar manifold member between said fluidicelements, said manifold member having a plurality of passagestherethrough aligned with said inlet and outlet ports, and means betweensaid manifold passages and said fluidic element ports for selectivelyblocking communication -.therebetween, said selective blocking meansincluding a plurality of sealing washers insertable in said manifoldpassages,

at least one of said :washers. havinga passage therethrough connectingone of said fluidic element ports and one of said 'manifold passages,another of said washers being blocked preventing communication betweenthe associated fluidic element port and manifold passage.

4. A fluidic circuit package as defined in claim 3, wherein said washerseach have an enlarged flange portion separating the manifold member fromthe'fiuidic elements, and an out- .wardly tapered portion insertable insaid manifold passages, said washers being resilient, and means forattaching said manifold member and said fluidic elements together as aunit.

5. A fluidic circuit packagecomprising: a plurality of generally planarfluidic elements, each of said fluidic elements having opposed generallyplanar surfaces and at least one inlet and one outlet port opening toatleast one of said surfaces, :and at least one generally planarmanifold member between :isaid fluidic elements, said manifoldmemberhaving a plurality of passages therethrough aligned with said inlet andoutlet -ports, and means between said manifold passages and said fluidicelement ports for selectively blocking communication therebetween, saidselective blocking means spacing the -manifoldand fluidic elements, atleast one of said fluidic elements having vent passage means thereinopening to at least g-one of said planar surfaces, saidselectiveblocking and spacing .means being constructed to permit communicationbetween said-fluidic elements, said manifold member having a plurality:of passages therethrough aligned with said inlet and outlet H ports,passage means ,in-,said manifold member extending generally transverseto said aligned passages and communicating with at least'one'of saidpassages, there being provided a pluralityof manifoldymembers eachadjacent at least one of ,said element surfaces, atleast two or saidmanifold members having saidtransversexpassage means therein opening tothe .side of theassociated manifoldvmember, and external conduit meansinterconnecting said passage means in said two manifold members wherebyfluid connections may bypass the fluidic elements as desired passingdirectly from one manifold member to another.

7. A fluidic circuit package as defined, in claim 1, whereinsaid'transverse passage means in at least one of said manifold has fluidresistor means therein. l

8. A fluidic circuit package as defined in claim 1, wherein said alignedpassage means has fluid resistor means therein.

9. A fluidic circuit package as defined in claim 1, wherein saidtransverse passage means in at least one of said manifold member has anenlarged portion defining a fluid capacitor.

10. A fluidic circuit package asdefined in claim 1, including a fluidcapacitor separate from said fluidic elements and said manifold member,and means for-attaching said manifold members, fluidic elements andcapacitor together as a unit.

11. A fluidic circuit package as defined in claim 1, including aplurality of fluid input means for the circuit, a plurality of fluidoutput means for the circuit, all of said input and output means beingconnected to said manifold members rather than to said fluidic elements.

12. A fluidic circuit package comprising: a plurality of generallyplanar fluidic elements, each of said fluidic elements having opposedgenerally planar surfaces and at least one inlet and one outlet portopening to atleast'one of said surfaces,

and at least one generally planar'manifold member between said fluidicelements, said manifold member having a plurality of passagestherethrough aligned with said inlet and outlet ports, passage means insaid manifold member extending generally transverse to said alignedpassages and communicating with at least one of .said passages, each ofsaid fluidic elements having at least a supply port, a control port andan out let port, all of saidports extending completely through saidfluidic elements, the location of the ports in said fluidic elementsbeing substantially ,the same, there being at least two manifold memberseachdisposed between the planar surfaces of adjacent fluidic elements,each of said manifold members having at least three of said alignedpassages corresponding with and aligned with respect to each of saidfluidic element ports, said passages extending completely through saidmanifold members,-whereby said fluidic elements and said manifoldmembers define a stack, one of said fluidic elements being at one end ofsaid stack, a cover member for closing the ports in .the exposed side ofsaid one fluidic element, removable means for selectively blocking fluidcommunication between the ports and the aligned passages, and meansforfastening said fluidicelements, manifold members and cover together as aunit.

l3..A fluidic circuit package as defined in claim 12, whereinsaidfastening means includes a plurality of threaded fasteners eachadapted to extend through one manifold member, pass freely through onefluidic element and threadedly engage another manifold member wherebysaid unit may be assembled and disassembled in building block fashion.

14. A fluidic circuit package, comprising: a plurality of fluidicelements .each having a generally planar configuration and planar sidesurfaces,-said fluidic elements each having'a plurality of portsextending therein, at least two generally planar manifold members havingpassages therein substantially aligned with the ports'in said fluidicelements, at least one of .saidmanifold members being disposed betweenadjacent fluidic elements, and means for fastening said fluidic elementsandmanifold members together as a unit including removable meansforfasteningeach fluidic element toan adjacent manifold member withoutfastening any other fluidic element thereto, whereby the unit may beassembled'and disassembled in building block fashion.

15. A fluidic circuit package comprising: a plurality of fluidicelements each having a generally planar configuration and planar sidesurfaces, said fluidic elements each having a plurality of portsextending therein, at least twogenerally planar manifold'members havingpassages therein substantially aligned with the ports in said fluidicelements atleast oneof said manifold members being disposedbetweenadjacent fluidic elements, and means for fastening said fluidicelements and manifold members together as a unit including removablemeans for fastening each fluidic element to an adjacent manifold memberwhereby the unit may be assembled and disassembled in building blockfashion, said fastening means including a fastening member in eachmanifold member extending through an adjacent fluidic element and fixedin the manifold member on the other side of said adjacent fluidicelement.

16. A fluidic circuit package as defined in claim 15, wherein one ofsaid fluidic elements is disposed at each end of said unit, a covermember on the side of each of said one fluidic elements on the sidethereof opposite the adjacent manifold members, said fastening meansincluding at least two threaded bores in each of said manifold membersin one of said cover members, the larger bores in said other covermember being aligned with the threaded bores in the adjacent manifoldmember, the larger bores in said adjacent manifold member being alignedwith the threaded bores in the following adjacent manifold member, andthe larger bores in said following adjacent manifold member beingaligned with the threaded bores in said one cover member, each of saidfluidic elements having holes therethrough larger than said threadedbores, and a plurality of threaded fasteners each passing through one ofsaid larger bores, one of said holes and threadedly engaging one of saidthreaded bores.

17. A fluidic circuit package comprising: a plurality of fluidicelements each having a generally planar configuration and planar sidesurfaces, said fluidic elements each having a plurality of portsextending therein, said fluidic elements being arranged side by side sothat their planar side surfaces face one another, and means forfastening said fluidic elements together as a unit including individualfastening means for each fluidic element which permit the fluidicelements to be removed one at a time without unfastening any of theother fluidic elements whereby the unit may be assembled anddisassembled in building block fashion.

18. A fluidic circuit package comprising: at least one planar fluidicelement, said fluidic element having opposed generally planar surfacesand at least one inlet, one outlet, and one control port opening to atleast one of said surfaces, at least one generally planar fluidicmanifold member adjacent said fluidic element, said manifold memberhaving a plurality of passages therethrough aligned with said inlet,outlet, and control ports, sealing means interconnecting said manifoldpassages and said fluidic element ports for providing communicationtherebetween, said sealing means being resilient and spacing saidfluidic element from said manifold member to compensate for surfaceirregularities in either the fluidic element or the manifold member andmeans for attaching said manifold member and said fluidic elementtogether as a unit.

19. A fluidic package comprising: at least one planar fluidic element,said fluidic element having opposed generally planar surfaces, and atleast one inlet, one outlet, one control port and one vent port openingto at least one of said surfaces, at least one generally planar manifoldmember adjacent said fluidic element, said manifold member having aplurality of passages therethrough aligned with said inlet, outlet andcontrol ports, and sealing means between said manifold passages and saidfluidic element ports for selectively blocking or providingcommunication between the desired aligned ports and passages, saidsealing means spacing said fluidic element from said manifold member topermit venting flow relative to said vent port.

